FH Workshop Assists LGBT Older Adults

Free event hosted by The Equal Rights Center, The Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center, and Lehigh Valley Active Life

Allentown, PA, February 8, 2016 – This past Monday, the Equal Rights Center, the Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center and the Lehigh Valley Active Life, teamed up to host a free workshop on housing rights and protections for LGBT older adults and advocates.

The workshop was led by Maggie Zinkel, a fair housing specialist at the DC-based Equal Rights Center. In her line of work, Zinkel provides direct services to individuals with complaints of discrimination in housing, and simultaneously coordinates both complaint-based and systemic testing investigations, among other responsibilities.

At the workshop, Zinkel discussed housing rights and protections available for older LGBT adults in Pennsylvania, signs of housing discrimination and advocacy tips and avenues for redress.“The ERC is grateful to have partners like the Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center to strengthen our reach on the ground. We take great pride in seeing the findings of our testing, investigations and research morph into viable tools that educate and promote the advancement of civil rights.” said Ayris Scales, the ERC’s External Affairs Director.

“It’s critical that LGBT older adults know their rights when it comes to fair housing” said Adrian Shanker, Executive Director of Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center. “Our hope is that workshops like these can empower the LGBT community to be self-advocates for the hard-fought rights our community has worked for – such as the municipal non-discrimination laws in Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton and Reading.”

About the Equal Rights Center (www.equalrightscenter.org)
Originally formed in 1983, the Equal Rights Center (ERC) is a national non-profit civil rights organization based in Washington, D.C. With members located in every state and the District of Columbia, the ERC works nationally to promote equal opportunity in housing, employment, disability rights, immigrant rights, and access to public accommodations and government services for all protected classes under federal, state, and local laws.

About Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center: (www.bradburysullivancenter.org)
The Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center provides programs and services to strengthen and support the LGBT community across the Greater Lehigh Valley.